Not every design begins on a computer. For BREAKIN', it began with a hand-drawn sketch by Michael's then- five-year-old son, Mason.

Inspired by the energy and expressive movement of breakdancing, Mason's original illustration became the foundation for a large-scale mural wallcovering. Rather than refining away its hand-drawn character, the original linework was preserved—capturing the rhythm, spontaneity, and creativity of one of hip hop's foundational art forms.

Michael describes Mason as someone fascinated by anything that shows flow—from break dancers and wiring diagrams to pipes and maps. That way of seeing the world shaped BREAKIN', where sweeping lines draw the eye across the wall, echoing the energy of a cypher.

Some ideas are simply too good for one material. Originally inspired by Michael's son Mason's sketch of a breakdancer, Dance Off reimagines the artwork behind BREAKIN' as an expressive upholstery textile.

Rather than printing the original illustration, the design comes to life through oversized bouclé yarns that sit above the surface of the fabric, adding dimension, texture, and a subtle silky luster that catches the light. The result is a woven interpretation that celebrates the same rhythm and personality while offering an entirely new tactile experience.

If BREAKIN' celebrates movement across the wall, Dance Off brings that same spirit to the weave.

Some stories aren't drawn—they're sampled. A photograph from Hip Hop By Design's first Architecture Camp in the Bronx became the starting point for Bronx Composition.

A thin slice from the original photograph was pulled and stretched into a bold, large-scale stripe, where colors blur, skip, and reappear across the design’s lines. Woven with a mix of fine and chunky yarns, the textile translates that visual rhythm into rich dimension and texture.

Michael compares the process to the way a DJ builds a track: "I treated those colors like samples, stretching the pixels the same way a DJ stretches a break beat." Like hip hop itself, Bronx Composition reflects the creative power of selection, transformation, and remix.